Posted by Grahame Hardie on September 26, 2001 at 05:35:16:
In Reply to: 1m pound project on 'couch potato' diabetes posted by Ellen on September 25, 2001 at 08:19:32:
It is important to note that this project concerns Type 2 (formerly called non-insulin dependent, or maturity-onset) diabetes and not Type 1 (formerly called insulin-dependent or juvenile) diabetes. Type 2 is initially caused by the tissues becoming resistant to insulin, rather than by insulin deficiency. Although some people are more susceptible to Type 2 diabetes due to genetic factors, this does not explain the current rapid increase in its incidence, which appears to be due to changes in lifestyle. In most people, development of the disease can probably be prevented by avoiding excessive food intake and taking regular exercise, which are also the first choices for treatment once it has developed.
The project is based on the discovery of a system called the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), first defined by work in Dundee about 15 years ago. It is well known that regular exercise promotes the insulin-mediated uptake and breakdown of blood glucose by muscle, and also the breakdown of fats in muscle, rather than their storage in fat depots. Recent work suggests that activation of the AMPK system during exercise may mediate these effects, and thus account for the beneficial effects of exercise on Type 2 diabetes. While diet and exercise will always remain the first choice of treatment, for those who may not be willing or able to adopt an exercise regime it may be possible to develop drugs that mimic the effects of exercise on the AMPK system.
The 1 million pounds (1.8 million Euros) is from the European Commission Quality of Life programme, which is funded by all the member states of the European Union. It will support a consortium of eight European laboratories for 3 years, with the Dundee lab as co-ordinator. The consortium will study the role of the AMP-activated protein kinase via a multidisciplinary approach ranging all the way from biochemistry and molecular biology in model systems, to studies of the effects of exercise in human subjects with or without Type 2 diabetes. It is primarily a laboratory-based study rather than a trial involving large numbers of subjects. For the benefit of Al Gordon who made a facetious remark about Scotsmen, the European Commission grants are very strictly audited, and none of the budget is for purchase of fish and chips!